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Lebanese Cabinet Sends International Tribunal Text to Parliament
The Lebanese cabinet sent to parliament Tuesday a controversial text calling for the creation of a Special International Tribunal for Lebanon.So much for the Syrian ploy of trading the SIT for an end to the "crisis". "The Council of Ministers unanimously decided to send the U.N. draft on the creation of an international court to try suspects in the assassination of Rafik Hariri," Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh told Agence France Presse after a meeting of the cabinet's remaining ministers at the Grand Serail. "This is an important step in the ratification procedure ... and also affirms the presence and continuity of the government," he said. "This shows (President Emile) Lahoud and his Syrian allies who want to destabilize Lebanon that the government is moving forward on its path." Six pro-Syrian ministers resigned last month amid a political crisis that has paralyzed Premier Fouad Saniora's government and sparked mass opposition protests in downtown Beirut. Saniora, whose offices have been surrounded since December 1 by thousands of opposition protesters loyal to Hizbullah and General Michel Aoun, has refused to accept their resignations. Following the withdrawals, the remaining cabinet members went ahead and approved the final draft of a U.N. resolution on creating the court, which must get the nod from parliament before being sent to the U.N. Security Council for adoption. Lahoud promptly rejected the text, saying it was approved by an illegitimate cabinet that did not represent the Lebanese people. So says a man imposed on the Lebanese people by Syrian threats. According to Lebanon's constitution, the legal quorum for a cabinet meeting is a majority of two thirds of its members. The constitution also says the government can submit a draft text to parliament even if it is not signed by the head of state. Posted by: mrp 2006-12-12 |
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